System and method for self-checkout, scan portal, and pay station environments

ABSTRACT

A checkout system includes a checkout station having a housing, a customer interface and a customer unloading station. A point-of-sale system has a microprocessor and memory operatively associated with one another to identify products being purchased, payments tendered therefor and to store transaction information locally at the checkout station or remotely from the checkout station. The microprocessor has programming configured to allow an item to be scanned by a product identification scanner, and an attendant command module.

BACKGROUND

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/425,182, adivisional of application Ser. No. 14/046,254 filed Oct. 4, 2013, whichclaims the benefit of application Ser. Nos. 61/751602 filed Jan. 11,2013 and 61/709,487 filed Oct. 4, 2012.

The present invention relates generally to checkouts, automatedself-checkouts, scan portals and pay station environments, and moreparticularly to systems and methods for increased speed and efficiencyat checkouts, self-checkouts, scan portals and pay station environments.

In a retail type environment, the efficiency with which consumers areable to process, pay for and purchase their desired items factors intothe expenses for a retail type establishment. The labor hoursattributable to manning checkout counters contribute greatly to thisexpense. In a typical retail operation, a shopper gathers the itemsdesired for purchase and presents them at a checkout counter, a clerkthen scans or enters the items' barcodes and the point-of-sale (POS)system totals the shopper's bill. The clerk may apply any promotionaldiscounts to the bill, the shopper tenders payment, and the items may bebagged for the shopper or customer. A number of self-service automatedcheckout terminal concepts have been developed in an attempt to reducethe need for a check-out clerk, thus reducing associated labor costs.

Toward reducing operating expenses, some businesses have implementedself-checkout counters. Self-checkout terminals are systems which areoperated mainly by a customer without the direct aid of a checkoutclerk. In such a system, the customer selects individual items forpurchase, scans them across a scanner or screen and then places theselected items into a grocery type bag, if desired. This continuesiteratively for the remainder of the items to be purchased. The customerthen generally pays for his or her purchase at the self-service checkoutterminal. Thus, a traditional self-service checkout terminal permits acustomer to select, ring up and pay for his or her purchases without thedirect assistance of the retailer's personnel at each individualcheckout terminal. One attendant may attend to transaction problems atseveral checkouts.

Self-checkout systems are also useful in other types of unattendedenvironments, such as, employee break rooms, hotel vending areas,business lobby settings or hospitals. One of the many benefits ofself-checkout systems is that they allow quick consumer- operatedtransactions, resulting in high throughput. This high throughput has tobe balanced with a transaction that allows new self-checkout users tofeel in control of and comfortable with the transaction.

As there is a move toward utilization of the self-checkout, there isalso a move to improve the self-checkout process and to address problemsarising with the use of more self-checkouts by consumers. Generally,self-checkouts are utilized by consumers with a fairly small number ofcheckout items. More customers using the self-checkouts may mean longerlines, so maximizing the speed of operation of the self-checkout becomesall the more important. Minimizing the number of times the items forpurchase are handled, or the attention time devoted to each item, addsto the speed of the transaction.

In efforts to improve the traditional checkout and self-checkout, hybridcheckout scenarios are being created, where technologies such as scantunnels and paystations create a checkout that is not the traditionalfully attended checkout and is not the unattended self-checkout. Scantunnel technology has been introduced that allows the consumer to placethe items to be purchased on a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt carriesthe items through a scan tunnel that automatically scans the items,relieving the consumer and/or attendant of this responsibility.Consumers no longer need to scan each item and attendants are freed upto assist with bagging the purchased items and attending to exceptionsoccurring during the checkout process. Exceptions are delays to thetransaction, such as for example, verifying the customers age in thepurchase of an alcoholic beverage or tending to an item that did notscan properly.

In one example, centralized pay stations allow consumers to swiftly movethrough a transaction at a checkout and then for several checkoutstations to be serviced by one pay station. One attendant can manage thepay station, freeing other attendants to focus on bagging and exceptionhandling. While these advancements in checkout stations increase speedand throughput, Applicant foresees that other challenges are beingcreated by the hybrid checkout environments.

Attendant's responsibilities in scan tunnel (also known as “portalscanner”) scenarios involve two major functions: 1) bagging items and 2)handling exceptions. These functions will occur rapidly and in highervolume during most transactions than previously experienced with moretraditional self-checkouts. Traditionally, brick-and-mortar retailtransactions do not require front-end store employees to multi-task inthe manner described above for the scan tunnel scenario. Thetraditional, staffed point-of-sale paradigm may have either a singlecashier who scans first, then bags later, in a serial fashion, or mayhave both a cashier and a bagger. In either point-of-sale scenario, thelevel of multi-tasking described above is not required because theinteraction with the system (scanning items, handling exceptions) andbagging are temporally and spatially separated, whether they are done byone employee or by two employees.

In self-checkout environments, the attendant may be required to assistwith scanning items, handle exceptions, and bag items. However, theexception handling is typically limited to a single item that is alsoaddressed in a sequence and does not involve the bagging of multipleitems in rapid succession. The attendant usually only addresses the itemthat causes the one exception, and the consumer will bag all otheritems. The hybrid checkout places both the consumer and attendant intonew roles at the checkout. Applicant's inventions address these andother challenges in the art and are directed to a new method and systemfor improving the customer experience at checkout terminals, forexample, traditional checkout and self-checkout terminals and hybridterminals.

SUMMARY

The present invention fulfills one or more of these needs in the art byproviding systems and methods for increased speed and efficiency atcheckout, self-checkout and hybrid checkout systems, for example, inscan portals and pay station environments. Some improvements may beequally beneficial at traditional checkout and self-checkoutenvironments.

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is to provide a checkout systemincluding a checkout station, a point-of-sale system having amicroprocessor and memory operatively associated with one another, andan attendant command module. The system may further include a portalscanner.

In another example, the invention includes a checkout apparatusincluding a base with a customer interface, a scan tunnel and anattendant interface. The customer interface and attendant interface arespaced apart by the scan tunnel. Also included is a transport mechanismextending from the customer interface, through the scan tunnel and tothe attendant interface so that a customer may load items for purchaseon the base at the customer interface. The transport mechanismtransports the loaded items through the scan tunnel to the attendantinterface. The scan tunnel is equipped with transducers to readinformation about the loaded items as they pass through the scan tunneland deliver digital electronic signals indicating the read informationto assist in compiling a digital list of items the customer has chosento purchase. Further included may be a defined location for theattendant and a digital attendant identification file includinginformation about the attendant's arm-reach. The area of the attendantinterface is typically defined, at least in part, by the extent of theattendant's arm-reach.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one example of a self-checkoutsystem;

FIG. 1A is a flow chart illustration of one example of the controllerand input and output systems of the self-checkout of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a top view of one example of a hybrid checkout including ascan tunnel environment;

FIG. 2B is a side view of one example of a hybrid checkout including ascan tunnel environment;

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of one example of a hybrid checkoutincluding a scan tunnel environment;

FIG. 2D is a top view of one example of an attendant work station;

FIG. 2E is a top view of one example of an exceptions pick up area;

FIG. 3 is a block illustration of one example of a hybrid checkoutincluding an ASD (Automated Scanning Device);

FIG. 3A is a block illustration of another example of a hybrid checkoutincluding an ASD;

FIG. 4 is an example of a functional block diagram of a checkoutincluding a hands-free transaction module;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a checkout including a hands-free transactionmodule;

FIG. 6 is another flowchart of a checkout including a hands-freetransaction module;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a checkout includingvoice command exceptions processing;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating another example of a checkoutincluding voice command exceptions processing;

FIGS. 9A-D show examples of a checkout system including a customerguidance module and projector; and

FIGS. 10A-D show another example of the customer guidance system of FIG.8A-D;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of an example hybrid checkout transactionincluding projected consumer guidance;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of an example of a hybrid checkout transactionincluding automatic volumetric data update; and

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an example of a hybrid checkout transactionincluding synchronous scanning.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, like reference characters designate likeor corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in thefollowing description, it is to be understood that such terms as“forward,” “rearward,” “left,” “right,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” andthe like are words of convenience and are not to be construed aslimiting tent's. It will be understood that the illustrations are forthe purpose of describing an exemplary embodiment of the invention andare not intended to limit the invention thereto. Many checkout andself-checkout systems are known in the art, and FIG. 1, generallydesignated 10, shows one example of a conventional automatedself-checkout system. Typically, self-checkout systems include at leastone kiosk. The kiosk usually includes a housing 11, typically of compactdesign, which accommodates or houses the other aspects of theself-checkout system. The housing 11 may be a pre-existing structure atthe installation site of the self-checkout system, may resemble thehousing as shown in FIG. 1, or may take on other shapes able toaccommodate the other aspects of the invention.

The kiosk may also include input modules 12, output modules 14 andtransaction modules 16. The input module 12, as seen in FIG. 1 may be,for example, a coupon-in center, credit/debit card reader, or a paymentcenter. The input module 12 may typically be supported on, integral to,or attached to the housing 11. Input module 12 is arranged to acceptinput about or for the transaction, for example, from items beingpurchased by recognizing the item, such as through selection on thedisplay 20 by the customer or by recognition of an identification orcode. A bar code scanner would be another example of an input module 12suitably found in the kiosk. Other examples, inter alia, may include oneor more keypads to key in information, RFID reader, a microphone(potentially with voice recognition software), a touch screen keypad, avideo camera, tablet computer, wireless communication receiver, a creditcard reader, a debit card reader, a smart card reader, a loyalty cardscanner, a cash receiver, a wireless transmission router, a mobilephone, and/or any of these in combination.

Output module 14 may include a coin-out center, a cash-out center and/ora receipt center. Output module 14 is arranged to provide and receiveinformation during a transaction. Output module 14 may provideinstructions to the purchaser or provide feedback from input receivedthrough input module 12. For example, the identification and recordedprice of scanned items may be displayed to the customer on display 20.In the case of a touch screen display, purchasers may also inputinformation on display 20 making the display serve as both a part of theinput module 12 and output module 14. A speaker (not shown) may alsoserve to provide audio information to consumers. Other examples ofoutput module 14 may include a private printing page, a linktransmitting to a handheld device such as a mobile phone or tabletcomputer or the like.

Transaction module 16 may include centers accommodated by housing 11where parts of the transaction occur, such as the bagger 16 andpotentially an auxiliary bagger. Transaction module 16 may also include,by way of example, weigh centers, bumper guards or transaction shelvingcenters.

A checkout system may further include a computer device and/a computersystem, for example, a POS computer system. A POS computer system mayinclude a controller 40 (as shown in FIG. 1A), operatively connected tothe input module 12 and output module 14. The controller has POSprogramming arranged to process information from the input module 12,such as the items being purchased in the transaction, and to provideinformation through output module 14 to the customer to allow completionof a customer transaction through system 10.

A controller 40, such as a microprocessor, may be, for example, in thekiosk or store database computer, and usually includes an associatedmemory. The controller 40 connects through input/output ports 44 inorder to receive information from and to provide information to themodules included in the kiosk. By way of example, the controllerreceives information from the input module 12 and provides data to theoutput module 14. The controller may have a clock component so thatelapsed time between events can be determined. Other configurations oftimes can be used.

Shown in FIG. 1A, the POS computer system may include a main memory 52or a secondary memory 54, or both, which may communicate with thecontroller. The main memory is generally a random access memory (RAM)that may include an item buffer for temporarily holding identificationinformation corresponding to scanned items before the items are verifiedby the kiosk. On the other hand, the secondary memory with standardinput/output ports may include any storage medium such as but notlimited to a hard disk drive, a SCSI drive, a removable storage drive orremovable storage units and interface. Alternatively, the secondarymemory may include handheld computing devices, as well as one or moredatabases such as a look-up database that includes SKU number, price,item codes, tolerance range for the item or for a class of items, andcorresponding weight, height, length, or width for each item in thestore. This database may reside on one or more of different oradditional computers such as at a central store server 50 or a remoteserver outside of the location.

Additionally, it is contemplated that the kiosk may not include a mainmemory. In this situation, the controller may communicate with thesecondary memory 54 which may be a remote server, for example, accessedvia local area network or global networking such as the Internet orIntranet, and refresh a display screen with information and softwarestored in the remote server.

Unattended vending type self-checkout systems may be beneficial inplaces such as in employee break rooms or hospitals where staggeredlunch shifts and work breaks cause several massive influxes of consumersat specific times throughout each work day. These influxes cause linesto form at the unattended self-checkout kiosks. It is not unusual formany of the consumers to have prepaid cards with stored value that isdecremented with each purchase, and which the consumer may increment attheir choosing using cash or credit at the kiosk. Delays at these typesof self-checkouts may prevent some consumers from making their purchaseswhen lines develop and people are operating on strict schedules.

Most consumers and retailers would prefer the retail checkout process beas quick and accurate as possible. To confirm accuracy, consumers preferto see that they received the correct prices, discounts due to them andthat their vendor coupons were applied correctly to the sale.Concurrently, retailers prefer to be as productive as possible duringthe checkout process. The speed of a checkout process may also beinfluenced by the number of items being purchased. For these and otherreasons, grocery retailers are most challenged to provide speed,accuracy and productivity within the checkout process.

One attempt to balance productivity, speed and accuracy at the checkouthas been the use of the self-checkout system. With self-checkout, theconsumer scans and weights their own items, and normally a singlecashier/attendant monitors multiple self-checkout terminals, thusproviding a higher level of productivity per cashier/attendant. Problemsstill exist with the self-checkout approach, for example, the lack ofspeed and accuracy, and consumers not being trained to process itemsquickly. Many consumers can become confused by the self-checkoutprocess, leaving room for accuracy errors. Self-checkouts also introducea theft variable, not present usually at an attended checkout. For atleast these reasons, much of the burden of the checkout process is stillbeing placed on the cashier. This burden typically includes scanningsome items, inputting non-barcoded items, weighing produce, scanningstore coupons, scanning vendor coupons, making adjustments to thecustomer records (such as receipt delivery preferences) bagging items,receiving payment and returning correct change to the customer. Theheavy workload placed on a single cashier, often in the checkout andself-checkout scenario, causes a bottleneck inhibiting faster checkoutfor the customer and productivity to the retailer.

In some cases, the cashier's workload is lightened, for example, byadding to the number of personnel for activities such as bagging. Inother scenarios, the cashier's workload results in the customer helpingto bag items in order to move the transaction along, neither beingdesirable options. However, other alternatives are also developing, suchas allowing the consumer to use a mobile device to pre-scan items forcheckout. Additionally, some retailers are utilizing automated scanningdevices, which scan the items after the consumer places the items on amoving belt, thereby reducing the workload further for the cashier andthus speeding up the checkout process. Still other retailers areutilizing pay stations, which allows the consumer to pay at anotherlocation within the same store, after an attendant has alreadysuccessfully entered all items being purchased, has bagged the items,has made adjustments to the customers checkout preferences record, andhas applied all manual discounts, store coupons and vendor coupons tothe transaction.

Currently, the retail checkout process is highly concentrated around theworkload of either a cashier at an attended point-of-sale station orconsumer at a self-checkout station. That is, either the cashierperforms the bulk of the work needed to checkout or the consumer does.Another emerging solution is a hybrid checkout scenario, which allocatesthe work more evenly between an attendant, a consumer and a checkoutmachine and so speeds up the checkout process while simultaneouslyincreasing transaction accuracy. In some cases, the hybrid checkoutoffloads the work load associated with store coupons, vendor coupons,scanning or entry of impulse items, and customer ID association to thetransaction, all of which is performed away from the primary itemscanning area. All of these scenarios are aimed at reducing the workloadof the cashier, allowing the consumer the ability to more closely checkthat they have received all of the associated credits, and moving theconsumer away from the scanning area so the next consumer in line canhave their items quickly scanned and bagged.

One example of this hybrid technology includes an Automated ScanningDevice (ASD) station and/or a pay station, which may exist together orindependently of each other. The consumer loads the merchandise theywish to purchase onto a conveyor belt, which conveys the item throughthe ASD, where it is automatically scanned. As the item is conveyed outof the ASD, the attendant bags the item. Once all items are bagged, theconsumer may proceed to an unattended pay-station, where the consumercan resume the transaction and scan any corresponding vendor coupons,store coupons, as well as scan, enter, and/or projection RFID toassociate their customer identifier, which may provide any otheradditional benefits owed to the consumer such as special pricing orloyalty rewards. Additionally, the consumer can also make changes totheir account, such as selecting options to receive their receipts byway of email, selecting options to opt out of printed receipts, opt infor marketing specials, and update their mailing and email address.

Additionally, the consumer can, if authorized to do so by configurablesecurity settings, remove unwanted items, for example, if the currentrunning total is greater than the amount the customer wishes or is ableto spend. In one such scenario, the hybrid system would allow thecustomer to remove items without store personnel approval and may alertstore personnel so that they may approve and or assist in the itemremoval process Finally, after all new items are added, unwanted itemsare removed, and the correct discounts have been applied, the consumercan finalize the transaction by way of selecting the tender type, be itcash, credit, debit, gift card, pay pal, google wallet, prepaid card,house charge, RFID and/or a mix and match of several payment types. Inone example, a pay-station would complete the transition and deliver thereceipt as instructed to do so by the customer's account settings. Otherexamples may include using selections from the consumer prompting by thepay-station. In order to further reduce the chance of a bottleneck fromoccurring at the hybrid checkout, a ratio of one-to-two or higher,scanning area to paystations, may also be employed.

As advancements in checkout technology, such as ASD scan tunnels and paystations develop, applicant realizes that new challenges are alsopresented in implementing and using ASD checkouts. Surprisingly, someaspects of the hybrid checkout may actually interfere with efficiencyand transaction speed, therefore frustrating consumers and discouragingrepeat usage. FIG. 2A through 2D show examples of a hybridself-checkout, including a scan tunnel, generally designated 130.Another example of a scan tunnel is seen in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/283,439 to Zhu as published U.S. Patent Publication 2009/0134221,the Zhu application being incorporated herein in its entirety. Yetanother example of a scan tunnel checkout is the Scan Portal offered byDatalogic.

A check out with an ASD typically includes an unloading area 132 for thecustomer to place the items for purchase at a consumer interface. Thisenvironment may be more attractive to the consumer than that found inthe traditional self-checkouts because it often may appear similar totraditional, attendant-manned checkouts where the items for purchase areplace on a conveyor belt and transported to the attendant. In operation,a customer approaches the unloading area, for example, a rollertransport or conveyor belt designed to transport the items to bepurchased, and places the items in the unloading area 132. Unlikeattended checkouts and traditional self-checkouts however, the items arenot required to be scanned by the customer 131 or the attendant 133. Theitems are taken from the unloading area 132, through a scan tunnelenvironment 134, where the items to be purchased are automaticallyscanned. Various item recognitions may be taken of each item orparticular items as they travel through the scan tunnel. For example, aSKU, bar code, RFID tag, PLU, may be recognized. Additionally, a photo,volumetric representation, or weight measurement may be taken of theitem.

The items for purchase progress to an item collection area 136 where thecustomer and/or attendant may bag the items. Since neither the customernor the attendant is required to pick up each item for scanning ortransaction entry, the transaction speed is increased. The increasedtransaction speed and reduction of transaction responsibility for thecustomer is attractive, even for larger transactions. Attendants'responsibilities in a hybrid checkout scenarios, such as a scan tunnel(portal scanner) scenario, is somewhat changed from more conventionalsystems. The attendant now has two main functions: 1) bagging items and2) handling exceptions. These functions will occur rapidly and in highervolume during most transactions than previously experienced byattendants at more traditional self-checkouts.

Often, an attendant work station (AWS) 135 (shown in FIG. 2D) will beprovided as a part of the hybrid checkout environment at an attendantinterface, much the same way that an attendant has an attendant workstation at a conventional checkout. Traditionally, brick-and-mortarretail transactions, however, do not require front-end store employeesto multi-task in the manner required at scan tunnel self-checkouts. Thetraditional, staffed, point-of-sale paradigm may have either a singlecashier who scans first, then bags later, in a serial fashion, or both acashier and a bagger. In either point-of-sale, the level ofmulti-tasking described above is not required because the interactionwith the system (scanning items, handling exceptions) and bagging aretemporally and spatially separated, whether they are done by oneemployee or more.

In one example, FIG. 2C shows an ASD contained within a check-standstyle unit 130 in which the scanning portal includes an arch/arches 134a that straddle conveyor belts 340 that move a consumer's items throughthe portal so that they pass among, and are scanned by, the scanners,for example by the scanners' lasers, and are thus entered into atransaction. These components are mounted on a base 342, as shown.

A. point-of-sale system, as described earlier and shown in FIG. 1A, maybe integrated with 1) the portal scanner and 2) the conveyor belt 340 toenable communications with, and control of, each system. An attendantwork station (AWS) 135, an example as seen in FIG. 2D, may includemultiple input/output peripherals (touch LCD 135 a, headset 166,scanner-scale, printer, hand held printer, etc) that allows an attendantto monitor each transaction with the primary function of bagging itemsand handling exceptions. Exceptions are typically items that areunrecognized by the system and/or that delay a transaction, for example,because bar codes cannot be read, additional clarification is needed,and/or because they do not have bar codes (such as produce and PLU-onlyitems). Other items, such as those requiring age verification are alsoconsidered exceptions because they also involve intervention by theattendant and interaction with the system.

In one example, when an exception item passes through the ASD, thescanner portal 134 a sends a representation, such as a photo oridentification, of the item to the point-of-sale (POS) control system150. The POS control system 150 enumerates or identifies the itemrepresentation and places it in view on the AWS display 135 a. In oneexample, the sequential numbering of exception item photos and/or textrepresentations allows the attendant to select items by recognizing theitem, for example by the associated number, and take the needed action.

FIG. 3 and 3A are block graphic representations of an example of animproved hybrid self-checkout system, including an ASD. In this example,the hybrid checkout system includes a global transaction control system150 in communication with an ASD 152, an exception processing subsystem164, a database 180 and a payment/receipt center subsystem 172. The ASD152 may include a package/identification subsystem 154, an unloadingsurface such as a conveyor belt subsystem 156, a lane light subsystem158, infrared sensor subsystem 160 and/or a projected consumer guidancesubsystem 162. The exception processing subsystem 164 may include amicrophone and ear phone headset 166, wireless interface 168 and/or handheld scanners 368, smart phones, tablets and/or computer access 170. Thepayment and receipt subsystem 172 may be in communication with a receiptprinter 174, scanner 176, RFID reader 178, credit card reader 182, cashdrawer 184, scanner scale 186 and/or a touch screen LCD 188.

In another example, Applicant's inventions as described in FIG. 3 may beapplicable to improvements in traditional attended checkouts andself-checkouts. Also, Applicant's inventions, as described, smooth thetransition between attended checkouts, traditional self-checkouts andthe increased speed and changes to the checkout process occurring athybrid, for example, scan tunnel and paystation, self-checkoutenvironments.

Hands-free Transaction Voice Command Module

In one embodiment, the invention includes systems and methods forachieving a hands-free exception management so that the attendant'shands can be allocated to other duties, such as the bagging process. Thecheckout system may include a hands-free transaction module that is incommunication with the exceptions processing subsystem 164,payment/receipt subsystem 172 and the database 180 so that a traditionalpoint-of-sale, self-checkout and/or hybrid transaction may be directedand concluded by the attendant in a hands-free manner FIG. 4 shows ablock graphic representation of one example of a hands-free transactionmodule 190. The hands-free transaction module 190 may include a speechrecognition module 191 and a text-to-speech module 193 and be incommunication with a consumer interface 195 and an attendant interface196.

In one example, attendants may use a voice command module, including,for example, earphones and/or headset 166 that includes one or bothearphones (for incoming audio signals) and/or a microphone (for outgoingaudio signals). The headset's microphone may be used by the attendant tocontrol the self-checkout transaction and/or system, for example tohandle exceptions, using voice commands instead of traditional physicalinteraction (e.g. pushing a button) with the system. The attendant maystill be able to touch a display, such as a panel PC 138, as seen inFIG. 2B, and/or control exceptions through voice command. By offloadingcontrol of the system to a voice command module, the attendant's handsremain free for the task of bagging, better enabling the attendant tomultitask and handle the rapid succession occurring in the transaction.Exception handling may include, but not be limited to, the following:conveyor belt control (stop, start, slow down, speed up, reverse,forward, etc.), processing weighted items, age verification, couponprocessing, payment processing and any other exceptions and/ortransaction delays arising during the transaction and payment.

The voice command module may allow the attendant the ability tologin/logout based on voice recognition biometrics, as in FIG. 5 and/orthe ability to turn on lanes in preparation for transactions, an exampleof which is represented in FIG. 6. When the system is ready, theattendant may voice a login command 201. If the voice does not match anauthorized user 202, then the system denies access. If the voice doesmatch an authorized user's 202, then the system allows the user access.The voice commands being given may be evaluated to determine if theymatch the users authorized content and access may then also be granted206 or denied 206. Likewise, an attendant may control checkout systemfunctions by voice command. An attendant may voice a command, forexample, to turn a lane on 208 and if the command matches an authorizeduser's authorized content 203, then the system will respond by turningthe lane on for use 211. The voice command module 200 may includetext-to-speech integration 193, voice recognition 191 and/or associatedbiometric information.

Audio prompts are mapped to system controls to achieve any of severalfunctions. Attendants may be notified via audio prompt when an item isin the exception zone. The voice command module provides the attendanthands-free control over various exceptions and component parts. Forexample, the system may be configured to stop the conveyor when an agerequired item is located within the exception pickup area 136. When avalid ID is declined, the system may prompt the attendant to remove theitem from the bagging area. The attendant may be signaled to verify viavoice command, and then the belt is restarted automatically. The systemmay be configured so that the attendant's language preference is knownand will speak to, and take commands from, the attendant in thepreferred language (i.e. other than English). Further, the voice commandmodule may include the ability to command the conveyor belts to slowdown, speed up, and/or start. Voice prompts may also notify an attendantto return certain items to customers that were sent through on thescanning tray, such as a customer card, or to ask for certain customeritems, such as coupons. Communication may be established through thevoice command module, for example, with the customer at the customerinterface or with management when an attendant is not authorized tohandle an exception.

The voice command module may also provide an audio report to theattendant of system diagnostics. For example, the system may evaluatethe presence and status of the various pre-determined system components.Once the functioning of those components is evaluated, then a verbalreport may be provided to the attendant, for example, that allcomponents are functioning properly and/or that one or more componentsare not ready to process transactions. The component issues may bespecified in the verbal report and a recommendation made, for example,on whether or not the lane should be opened and what actions may resolvethe issue. For example, components that may be checked by the system andreported via voice command include, but are not limited to: the scanportal, the conveyor belt system, battery backup, wireless AP,router/switch, digi board, panel PC, card swipe, PIN pad/sig cap,receipt printer, scanner-scale, LEDs internal, LEDs external, projector,lane light, database, network and/or server. There may be acorresponding message on the AWS display for each voice prompt.

The point-of-sale system may be configured to communicate with or be apart of the controller 40 so that exceptions are organized for theattendant. For example, as seen in FIG. 7, the system may detectunscanned items passing through the portal 218, such as produce. Thesystem may prompt the attendant that an exception exists 224. Once theattendant recognizes an item as produce, he or she may select a producedisplay option or, for example, may give a voice “produce” command andinstruct the system to override the exception. The attendant may alsochoose to “tag” the item 226 and/or may opt to pick up the item forinspection 228. The system then gives the item an item recognition 232,such as a photo taken in the scan portal, a sequential number and groupsit with other produce items appearing as exceptions on the AWS screen.

Alternatively, if a bar coded item passes through and an exceptionoccurs, the attendant may select a “bar code” display option or command.The bar code exception is grouped with other bar code exceptions andpresented on the AWS screen. The attendant may make selections to handlethe exceptions on the display or by voice prompt 234 and the systemapplies the attendant action to the tagged exception item 236. The itemmay then be inserted into the transaction 238.

If an item passing through the scanner is unable to be identified, thena notification may be sent to the attendant to check the exceptions pickup area for item identification. The timing of the notification may beadjusted based on speed of belt, attendant's preferences and/orcompliance regulations, for example ADA or OSHA regulationsrequirements.

Once notified, the attendant typically turns his or her attention to theexception pick up area 136 and verifies that item against the exceptionscreen recognition. The attendant may say “exception number” or “next”or provide an acceptable audible direction or, for example, select fromthe possible correct identification shown on the display 188 orhighlight the matching recognition to the exception item to be resolved.When the exception is resolved, the item is removed from the screen 188and exceptions listing and either cancelled or placed in the transactionlisting. If there is only one exception, then the system mayautomatically process the exception direction of the attendant withoutan exception first being highlighted or selected.

FIGS. 5 through 8 show example transaction progression directed by thehands-free transaction module 90. When an attendant successfully logsinto a hybrid checkout system, including an ASD, the hands-freetransaction module allows for automated exceptions processing. When theexception processing subsystem detects an exception item, the systemplaces the exception in queue and shows the item on the screen 188 forthe attendant. The exception processing subsystem detects when theexception item is entering the physical exceptions pick up area 136 andnotifies the attendant of the item exception via audio signal such as inheadset 166. The attendant gives verbal instruction via the microphonein headset 166 to “tag” a particular exception in a command that isrecognized by the subsystem. The exception item is highlighted or taggedby the subsystem and associated with the next attendant action. Theattendant performs the action needed to eliminate the exception item,such as weighing the item. The system applies the data from theattendant action to the “tagged” item and eliminates the item from theexceptions listing and uses the data to identify or permit the item sothe item, and inserts it into the transaction listing. If more than oneexception is displayed to the attendant, then the attendant may identifywhich exception is being addressed by physically selecting the item onthe screen 188 (i.e touching the image of the item on the screen) or byidentifying verbally which exception he/she is addressing. For example,exceptions may appear in a listing as exception 1, exceptions 2 andexception 3. The attendant may voice “exception 2” into the microphone,the subsystem recognizes the verbal command that exception 2 is selectedand gives the selected exception treatment associated with the nextattendant action. For example, if the attendant next says “lettuce,” thesystem recognizes the item as lettuce, looks up the price, and adds theprice and “lettuce” word to the transaction listing. Alternatively, theexceptions may appear in other configurations, such as, in blockedcolumns and rows with exceptions appearing with identifying exceptioninformation and an item recognition associated with the exception.Additionally, the “tagging” information may group the exceptions and mayappear along with the item recognition.

Other types of exceptions similarly handled by the system may includereal-time processing of items needing to be weighed, items that cuemissing identification information, items with conflicting recognition,customer identification information, and age verification.

While the hands-free module may be adapted to retrofit and be applicableto traditional checkouts and self-checkouts, it directly addresses theissues with the increased speed of the transaction and exceptionshandling associated with hybrid, specifically, ASD checkout systems.

Gestural Command Exception Handling

In another example, an improved bi-directional communication between thesystem and the attendant may be accomplished through a gesturalcommunication module. The gestural communication module may interactwith the POS system to yield similar results as the voice commandmodule. Gestural communication may be utilized as a way of allowing theattendant to interact with the system for the previously mentionedscenarios and exceptions. A remote control may be, for example, attachedto, worn by or held by the attendant. The remote control may operatesimilarly as in current video gaming scenarios to recognize andcommunicate instructions based upon particular gestures. In otherexamples, a wrist band may be worn. By way of example, a particularmovement may be associated with particular exception handling, such asstopping, slowing or speeding up a conveyor belt. The system may beconfigured to adapt and learn and associate particular user movementswith specific commands. Both the voice command module and the gesturalcommand module may be used together by the attendant. For each and both,the voice command module and the gestural command module, finitemappings are used to link words and hand signs to system commands. Thegestural command module may also be adapted for checkout, self-checkoutand hybrid checkout scenarios.

Multiple-Photo Availability for Exception

In some examples, the portal scanner may include multiple photocapability as an item moves through the scanner. Multiple photocapability includes various representations of an items being acquiredas an item moves through the scanner and then made available to anattendant if needed, for example when an item for purchase does notenter the transaction properly and becomes an exception. In order forthose multiple photos to be useful to the attendant in a scanner typeenvironment, they must be easily accessible and facilitate the speedwith which exceptions are to be handled. Applicant has developed aMultiple Photo module that associates the various photos with aparticular item that was scanned and then organizes and presents them atthe AWS screen 188 to the attendant. The multiple photo module organizesthe photos so that the attendant may scroll through the photos if he orshe does not recognize an item. The photos may be organized in a listedmanner and in other examples may be organized differently, for example,may appear in rows across and columns down the screen. Also, theattendant may view different angles and access zoom in/out features toassist with item identification. The multiple photo module also mayorganize the photos so that when rotating between views, the attendantis provided, for example, a 360, 180, or 270 degree side-to-siderotational view of the item.

Additionally, multiple views of the top and bottom of the item may beavailable. In order to view the multiple photos, the attendant may touchor swipe through the first photo presented on the AWS screen, may accessthe views through a voice command, a gesture or a remote control, and/ormay press an associated button to access multiple views associated witha particular exception item.

When an item is depicted on the AWS display, the attendant may handlethat exception by entering that item into the transaction by, forexample, re-scanning it, entering/voicing an item ID, or gesturing (PLU,bar code, etc). The system associates the item that was scanned but notidentified by the scanner with the identification that the attendantrings into the transaction or is addressing in the checkout exceptionslisting. If there is only one item on the screen, the system knows toselect that item. Because the portal detects and records itemrepresentations, such as volume (height, width, and depth) over time, itcan be configured to ring in a bar coded item even if it cannot read thebar code, from a developed history of consistent representations, suchas appearances or volumetric measurements associated with the scanneditem.

Prompt-for-Price Item Exception /Device Aware Exceptions Handling

In another example, the system may be device-aware so that if a specificexception item is highlighted, and the attendant does not verballyidentify the type of item (such as saying “produce” or “bar code”), butthe attendant puts the item on the scale or scans the item, software inthe system recognizes the attendant's actions as instructions on how toclassify the exception item. If the employee scanned the exception item,for example, the system knows to classify it as a bar code item. If theemployee puts it on the scale, for example, the system knows to classifyit as a weighted item and will automatically display on screen 188 alist and/or category of scale-required items for the attendant to selectfrom. Selection may be touching the screen, making a gesture or voicecommand, consistent with the modes described above. When, for example,an exception occurs due to the portal scanner recognizing a preprogramedprompt-for-price item, the portal holds the bar code data scanned fromthe item in the exceptions queue and shows the item, for example, by wayof item I.D. or photo of the item, on the exceptions screen, where theattendant is prompted to enter the price before the item is insertedinto the transaction. When the attendant selects or attends to thehighlighted or chosen exception, it is not necessary for the attendantto take the time to rescan or re-enter the item because the priceinformation is automatically associated with the initial scaninformation collected from the exception item. This device-awarenessfeature, as with the other parts of invention disclosed, is applicableto attended checkouts, self-checkouts, scan portals and pay stationenvironments.

Further, if only one exception is detected, then it may be automaticallyselected by default to be tagged for association with the attendantaction. By way of example, if the item needs rescanning due to improperscan, then the next attendant scan is understood by the system to be thetagged item. If the exception item needs to be weighed, then the nextitem placed on the scale is understood by the system to be associatedwith the tagged item. When the exception criteria are met, the exceptionis removed from the exception screen. However, if multiple items appearon the exceptions processing screen, the tagged item will be theexception to which the next attendant action is associated. The taggeditem may be, for example, pre-programmed in the system to be recognizedby highlighting or other identification such as numbering or listing.Once the attendant takes the action that solves the exception, thesystem removes the exception item from the screen. Minimizing the timewhich the attendant must spend handling exceptions by reducinginteraction steps (e.g. scanning or re-entering items) helps realize thebenefits of a scanner portal checkout system and reduces the frustrationsuch a new system will present to attendants.

Attendant-Adjustable AWS Settings

In one example, the system may be programmed to only alert theattendant, by way of sound or vibration, that an exception has occurred,and only at a point, when the exception item has reached an exceptionpick up area 136. The exception pick up area typically will be a placebetween the scan tunnel and where the attendant is standing or sitting,within ergonomically safe reach of the attendant, and one which does notrequire the attendant to step one way or another to pick up the item(see FIG. 2E). The exception area often provides a space within whichthe attendant can physically separate the unscanned (exception) itemsfrom the scanned items. The exception pickup area is configurable basedon the physical attributes of the logged-in attendant, with attendant'satin's reach often being one factor in establishing the area. Forexample, each attendant's record in the system may contain measurementscorresponding to the employee's arm's length and/or reach. From thismeasurement, calculated against the belt speed and the location of anexception item on the belt, the system may notify the logged-inattendant appropriately when the exception item can first be reached.For example, even though the scan portal may indicate that a certainitem is an exception very early on when it is first scanned on theconsumer's side of the portal, the system may wait to notify theattendant at a point when attendant can reach it. In this example, thesize of the exception pickup area may vary depending on the logged-inattendant's ability to reach with ease.

Consumer Guidance Module

In another embodiment, the checkout system may include a consumerguidance projection module. Reports indicate that ASD systems may scanat potential rates of 100 items per minute, amplifying frustrations thatmay be felt by both consumer and attendant.

For such a system to meet the requirement of speed, accuracy andproductivity, it is desirable for both the consumer and attendant towork in a coordinated fashion with one another, and ideally, with theautomated scanning device and object recognition system. Since theconsumer is not an employee and is not trained in the art of workingwith automated scanning and with object recognition systems, his or herunderstanding is often the weak link in this coordination. Applicant'sconsumer guidance system provides the consumer information in a timely,simple and convenient manner, which will allow the checkout process toflow correctly and proceed faster, while still providing accuracy.

In one example, as in FIGS. 10A through 10D, the guidance module uses adigital projector or equivalent 162 directs the consumer to focus on theloading of merchandise onto a loading area, such as a conveyor belt.Specifically, the system 162 will display instructions using varioussymbols and words, onto the conveyor belt at the unloading areaindicating when each item can be placed on the conveyor belt and/orwhere they should be placed. In this way, each item can be placed on theconveyor belt to achieve the highest available ring up rate, whileavoiding mistakes that can occur by improper spacing of the items.Proper item placement on the conveyor belt becomes even more importantwith implementation of ASD technologies, to allow the scanners (andcameras) a good view of the items as it passes.

The module may also display messages to the consumer, providingcorrective guidance. For example, the module can display a message ifthe system detects items have been placed too close together or detectsthat the consumer has stacked one or more items one on top of another.Additionally, the module may be configured to allow the attendant todisplay instructions directly onto the belt. In this case, the attendantcan enter system commands by way of voice, gesture, touch screen orkeyboard. The module also may display the costs of items as they aretransacted with the system. A running subtotal and tax also may bedisplay along with other information, such as a real-time produce scaleweight.

Traditionally, the moving surface of the conveyor belt, used for thepurpose of transporting items from an offload location to anotherlocation for scanning and bagging, has been viewed and used only as atransport type of service device. Applicant's invention allows thissurface to now also be used as a projection surface for providinginformation to consumers, particularly in a fast-paced transaction.

In one example, the consumer guidance module may replace the moretraditional consumer LCD display, thereby reducing the overallcomplexity of the system's extended physical components. Avoiding theneed for a physical LCD for a consumer display increases the visualaesthetics at the front end by removing unnecessary visual obstaclesfrom the visual plane. Furthermore, LCD's used for consumer displays,while meant to display information for the consumer in the currenttransaction, are visible to all other consumers waiting in line to bechecked out. This scenario is problematic for several reasons, not theleast of which is a visually cluttered front end. Additionally, theprojection onto the conveyor belt of instructions and otherconsumer-facing information, such as item prices, item weights, anddiscounts, provides an additional and welcome dimension of privacy forthe consumer because it removes the content from the direct line ofsight of consumers other than the one in the current transaction. Thisnew level of transactional anonymity may particularly appeal toconsumers participating in government-funded programs such as WIC(Women, Infants, and Children). One of the express written goals of theWIC program is to protect the dignity of WIC participants by making WICtransactions as anonymous as possible.

The consumer guidance module provides the added benefit of decreasingthe wear and tear on the checkout component, which can shorten thecomponent's life span and lead to more frequent repairs andreplacements. Longer life span and reduced repairs ultimately results ina greater overall system cost savings by extending the life of thesystem's most significant and expensive moving component. The guidanceprovided by the system 162 can encourage the consumer to distribute theproducts and consequent wear and tear of the conveyor belt evenly acrossits full width. The guidance can move and change the item placementtarget zones via the projected image over time. Furthermore, theguidance may achieve this through incremental location changes to theprojected item placement target zone over time in a manner that issubtle and which does not disrupt the consumer experience.

FIGS. 9A-D, 10 and 11 show one example of a consumer guidance module.Typically, the projector 192 is added to or built into a projectionextending over the unloading area or conveyor belt and projects an imagedownwardly. The image 94 may be located where the consumer is to placemerchandise. In one example, (see FIG. 11) an infrared light source,with the infrared beam running through the center and perpendicular tothe projected image is included. When the system displays instructionsto the consumer to place the item on the belt and the consumer complies,the beam is broken 274, indicating electronically to the system that theconsumer has placed the item on the belt at which point the system candisplay to the consumer further instructions, symbols or directions,thus allowing the system to work in an optimized and interactive fashion276. Furthermore, the system may display the running subtotal and tax aseach item is scanned, as well as, information on each item, such asprice, as each item is scanned.

In one example, where the guidance system is used in conjunction with ascan portal, the projector 192 may be oriented directly above theconveyor belt on the portal's entry arch 134 a, above a portal area 134c. The projector may be encased in a shell that mounts onto the top ofthe scan portal, and which is aesthetically and physically consistentwith the scan portal itself.

The guidance projection module may also be placed in differinglocations. Multiple projectors may be used. The projector may alsoinclude a pan, tilt or zoom capability. The system may include an imagerotation and resizing ability. Additionally, there may be an imageskewing ability for low visual perspective (for example,wheelchair-bound consumers). In some instances, the guidance module willinclude integrated audio and/or user interactivity with the projectedimage. The image may be projected onto other surfaces. The capability tocast a moving projection alongside (or on top of) an item based on itemlocation and conveyor belt speed may be included. The projector maydisplay an image from below the conveyor belt or display surface.

Various technologies can be used for the projector, such as a scanninglaser, LCD, LCOS, DLP, or projected digital image such as a digitalprojector. In some cases analog projectors may be useful.

The consumer guidance module may be integrated with traditional attendedcheckout, self-checkout, scan portal environments and pay stations. Theguidance system may be an attendant-side function and may be used inconjunction with the voice command and/or gestural command module.

As seen in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the projected content may be dynamicallygenerated based on rules and settings determined by the merchant. Themodule can be configured to learn over the course of a singletransaction that the consumer is either obeying or disobeying projectedinstructions. The system may dynamically change the content of theprojected message based on whether or not the consumer is complying withthe instructions. The toning up or down of the of instructional messagesis configurable by the merchant, but is not limited to, 1) animating theprojected message with more movement with each subsequent violation, 2)using more intense colors, and/or 3) using more aggressive typefacesand/or graphics. Toning down the intensity of the message, such as the“Don't Stack Items” message includes, but is not limited to, the systemlearning over the course of many transactions that the consumer iseither 1) obeying or 2) disobeying the projected instructions and tonesup or down the intensity of the projected message based on rules andsetting pre-configured by the merchant. The system may additionally beadapted to dynamically change the location, orientation and/or size ofthe projected image.

In operation, the check-out system may detect an approaching customer,by example, by proximity sensor or alert by an attendant. As a result,the system may start a conveyor belt moving. An image/text may begenerated through the guidance module instructing the consumer as to howto proceed with the transaction. As the transaction progresses, thesystem may detect exceptions and the module may make projections inresponse based upon pre-configured settings. Alternatively, theattendant may direct the projections based upon exceptions showing up inthe AWS display 188 or earphones 166.

The messages may be configured to ramp up in tone or down based onrepeated behaviors in a single transaction, such as, stacking items morethan three times when loading items. Alternatively, the system maydetect a history of behaviors associated with a particular customer, forexample, by way of ID bar code scan, phone number entry, biometricsand/or any other customer identification method.

The guidance projection module may also be used to provide customerswith other types of information in addition to directional information.For example, the system may detect the scan speed of the consumertransaction for display. In some instances, the consumer's scan speedmay be compared to other consumers in a pre-selected time period andthat comparison displayed to the consumer. For example, the message,“Your scan speed is in the 20^(th) percentile of all consumers thismonth” may be displayed. Advertisements and/or coupons may also beprojected for customers at the checkout. These types of projected itemsmay be tailored to the consumer's transactional history. These types ofprojections may be interactive.

Multiple Items Sharing Bar Codes

Often times, exceptions occur at no fault of the customer but due tomalfunctions and/or peculiarities associated with the labeling andidentifications found on the items for purchase. Automated scanning, asdone in a scan portal or scan tunnel, currently cannot automate theprocess of selecting the correct item when two different cost itemsshare the same bar code ID or when there are two or more different barcodes on the same item. The first scenario exists when items are bundledby the store operator or by the supplier (wholesaler). For example, whena beverage is sold as a single item, a bundle of six, a 12-pack, or acase of 24, each uses the same bar code. In traditional point of salescenario, the system detects that there are multiple (or “alternate”)items associated with the same bar code. Therefore, when such a bar codeis scanned, the system displays a menu containing, in this example, 1) asingle, 2) a 6-pack, 3) a 12-pack, and 4) a 24-pack case. From this menuthe cashier chooses the appropriate packaged quantity, thereby tellingthe system which quantity of beverages to ring into the transaction. Thesystem will then apply any quantity-based discounts to reflect the lowerpricing associated with higher quantities of units purchased. Therefore,the system includes a scanned item verification mode.

In the second scenario, an item may have two or more different barcodes, both of which get scanned when they pass through the automatedscanning device (scan portal). This scenario, for example, occurs when asupplier packages a quantity of individual item units with bar code “A”together in a case package using clear plastic packaging. The supplieralso puts a different bar code “B” on the outside of the plastic casepackaging to serve as the item ID for the case package. The system isconfigured to recognize each of the two different bar codes as validitem IDs within the system, but for different items, so it does not knowwhich one to insert into the transaction upon detecting them both via ascan.

In the second scenario, it is also possible that one or more of thescanned bar codes are associated with valid items while others are notlinked to a valid item in the system. An aspect of automated scanning isto dramatically speed up checkout times for consumers and to reduce oreliminate cashier workloads. Forcing a cashier to make manual selectionsfrom a menu to resolve the bar code ID conflicts as described above iscost productive to this aspect of automated scanning.

When one bar code is associated with more than one item, the system maybe activated to engage in a self-learning scenario by using datarelationships for the system to detect when an item, which shares a barcode with two or more other items, has been scanned by the automatedscanning device. In addition to scanning the bar code, the scan portalobtains other information about the scanned item, such as volume orimage. Once detected, the system may present the customer, cashier orattendant a selection list on a display, which lists the various itemsassociated with the single detected bar code, for example as anexception. The customer, cashier or attendant may select from this listthe actual item scanned, the system then matches the selected item tothe corresponding volume and or image data collected from the automatedscanning device and the system stores this volume and/or imageinformation within the relational database linked to the selected item.

When the automated scanning device indicates to the system that multiplevalid bar codes have been detected on a single item, the system maysimilarly present the customer, cashier or attendant a selection list ona display, listing the various items associated with each detected barcode. The customer, cashier or attendant will select from this list theactual item scanned, the system would then match the selected item tothe corresponding volume and or image data collected from the automatedscanning device and the system would store this volume and or imageinformation within the relational database linked to the selected item.

Learned Identifications for Building Item Database

The system is preferably configured to gather ranges of learnedassociated volumes and/or image recognition data digitally and willstore such data, until a set of values for the associated item arewithin a set margin of error, deleting those values outside of thismargin for any range. For example, five incidences have been recordedfor a given range within the set margin of error, the associated item isflagged as having a “learned selection” status by the system. An itemalready flagged as learned can begin learning a new range.

By using data relationships, the system detects when, in the scenariosabove, items have been scanned by the automated scanning device and alsodetect if the associated item has any associated learned ranges. If thescanned item has existing learned ranges, the system will compare thescanned item's volume or image data, converted to a digital number,against the learned values. If the two values are within the setexcepted margin of error for any range, the system will select theappropriate item. If the values are not within a learned range, thenself-learning will become active for the new possible range.

When the automatic scanning device indicates that it has scannedmultiple bar codes for a single item but the system can only find onevalid bar code, self learning by the system may occur. A valid bar codeis defined as one that is linked to an associated item within thesystem's relational database. The system will go into self learning modefor a single bar code and will drop the additional unknown bar codes. Ifthe single bar code matches an existing range, the system will ring thetransaction using the valid ID with no user intervention required.

In the scenarios above when the scan portal detects exceptions, thesystem may alert and prompt the employee attendant / cashier / customerby way of video or voice for the correct selection to be made, forexample, by way of touch screen input, keyboard input, voice command,interactive prompt or gestural command. The system may automatically runstatistical sampling in order to insure that the learned selectionstatus is current and accurate. From the learning mode, the system mayassociate a recognition parameter for an item with the one or moreidentifications recognized in the scan of the item and select thecorrect item to be added to the transaction based on that comparison.

Auto-Generated Weighted Items Menu and Scale Awareness

A specific learned identification, as discussed above, may be the weightassociated with a particular item, such as produce. A weight profile maybe developed for weighed items over time. Often at checkout, however, acashier is required to weigh particular items that are selected from thecheckout system from a menu screen. The cashier typically selects a menubutton prior to selecting the specific produce item from the menu. Thesemenus are set up by building a weighted item menu manually by creatingan item listing within the menu, then assigning an item group and thenincluding an item group within the menu. A checkout process that reduceseven one step during a checkout transaction can greatly increase thespeed of checkout for customers. Embodiments of applicant's inventionallows the cashier/attendant to skip the requirement of first selectinga menu followed by a second step of selecting the item from that menu.

The auto-generated weighted items module senses when an item is placedon the scale and automatically displays a new menu, the Weighted ItemMenu (WIM). In order to prevent false scale readings, such as an itemskimming the scale, the settings may be set to only recognize a settledweight. When the system displays a WIM screen, the user/attendantselects the item from the menu. The system closes the menu andcalculates the item produce using the settled scale weight and the datafor the item is placed into the transaction.

Paystation Customer Item Controls

When customers checkout and then are directed to a paystation in orderto make payment and complete the transaction, they have left the areawhere items are added to the transaction. However, stores may want toprovide advertisement and impulse offerings at the paystation area.Additionally, it is possible that the customer may want to add somethingto the transaction that he or she forgot to the transaction or decide toremove an item from the transaction. If the customer has to return tothe transaction area and redo the transaction, then add-on purchases byconsumers may be discouraged. Applicant has developed the ability forthe consumer to add additional items, such as impulse itemsstrategically located around the pay-station, by way of scanning, objectrecognition, RFID or manual entry, to a specific transaction at a remoteconsumer self pay-station. This capability allows customers to includeadd-on items via a revisions module at the paystation, which is separatefrom where the items being purchased were originally scanned or manuallyentered into the transaction, but within the same store location.Consumers are also able to remove an item from the transaction withoutthe need to repeat the item entry for the transaction either with orwithout attendant being alerted and with or without attendant guidanceand approval. For example, store personnel may remotely authorizeremoval of an item located within a transaction, which is currently inthe process of being completed by the customer from a pay-station. Theremote device used by the personnel could be, for example, a hand helddevice or computer connected to the store network.

Additionally, customers may want to apply or redeem store coupons,loyalty rewards and vendor coupons in a specific transaction at a remoteconsumer self pay-station. Applicant's ADS system allows customers toredeem coupons via the revisions module. In one example, the consumer isable to associate their store ID to an existing transaction from aremote consumer self pay-station, and through this association receivesassociated discounts, rewards or assigned preferences. In anotherexample, instead of using a scanner at the pay-station to scan vendorcoupons, which may require the consumer to place such coupons into acoupon slot after they are scanned, a special mechanical coupon devicemay be used, which requires the customer to insert the coupon into thedevice, where the device scans the coupon. If the device successfullyscans the coupon and then matches the coupon against the transaction,the device would also store the coupon for later pickup by storepersonnel. If the device cannot scan the coupon or a successfullyscanned coupon is rejected because it does not meet the vendor or storerules, the device provides the coupon back to the customer and providesdetails as to the problem.

Mobile Scanning Device and Paystation Checkout Option

In another embodiment, the ASD could be replaced by a mobile scanningdevice, by which the consumer could use such a device to scan items asthey shop, thereby eliminating the need for Automated Scanning Device toscan the items and the need for the attendant to bag items or do manualtransaction inputs. In this scenario, the consumer scans each item,using the device, then proceeds directly to the pay station to completethe transaction. The mobile device could be provided by the retailer foruse by the consumer or by could be a common device carried by consumers,such as an Apple or Droid Smart Phone and/or tablet device. The hybridcheckout transaction would proceed otherwise as is discussed herein.

Synchronous Scanning

An improvement to allow faster checkout transactions is to allow theattendant to scan or ring in items, for example exceptions items, at thesame time that the scan portal scans items (See FIG. 13). This allowsthe attendant the freedom to scan/enter items that the portal cannotidentify or that occur as exceptions while, at the same time, the portalis also scanning in the items it can identify. Both scan portal scanneditems and attendant entered items will be associated with thetransaction and added to the same transaction as they are entered.Synchronous scanning allows the exceptions processing and ASD scanneditems to be added to the transaction in parallel. Otherwise, thetransaction would occur serially as in traditional checkouts and hinderthe speed of which hybrid checkout systems are capable of progressing.FIG. 13 illustrates one example of how synchronous scanning allows thetransaction to proceed simultaneously with ASD scans and exceptionsbeing handled at the same time.

Community Volumetric Data

As ASD systems are added to checkout environments, the user or storeimplementing the ASD system will face challenges associated withimplementation. The store, for example, will be required to send everyitem in its inventory through the device in order to build within thesystem the volumetric data needed to identify and associate with itemsin a secure manner as the items move through the scanner during atransaction. Volumetric data includes item identifiers, including butnot limited to, surface patterns, weight, volume, dimensions, coding,etc. Such a process has the prospect of being very extremely laborintensive and time consuming. Furthermore, the process would not accountfor items that come into the store's inventory after the initialvolumetric data gathering session. Users would therefore be forced torun all new items through the ASD so that their associated informationis added to the ASD inventory prior to the item being sold. Therefore,this complication not only adds time and complexity to the properintegration of ASD systems but also introduces unacceptable failurepoints to the ASD operation.

A community volumetric data option and an inventory maintenance moduleaddresses this problem. A data repository of item inventory is createdand maintained. When a merchant joins the community volumetric datarepository, then their volumetric item data, typically without pricingor cost, is sent upstream to the communal server maintained repository.As seen in FIG. 12, the data is keyed, for example by, SKU, UPC andbarcode identifiers. When a store location within the data sharingcommunity adds a new item into their inventory, an inventory maintenancemodule will check to see if the data repository has volumetricinformation for the item being added 286. If so, that missinginformation is obtained from the repository 291, 293. As more and moremerchants participate in the community volumetric data repository andadd items into their databases, the repository also becomes more robustwith the ability to, in turn, save an increasingly large amount of timeand labor to merchants, who are spared having to manually recognize andenter new scanned items into the ASD inventory.

In one example, a vendor may provide volumetric data along with theirelectronic product catalogs to the repository so that as merchants addASD environments, the vendor's inventory, along with product volumetricdata may be downloaded from the repository.

While Applicant's disclosure may be directed to increased efficiency andspeed when a scan tunnel is integrated into the checkout system, oneskilled in the art will recognize that these improvements may be usefulwith or without the scan tunnel and as integrated into a traditionalattended checkout, a traditional self-checkout and/or a scan tunnel andpay station environment. System and methods for improved checkoutenvironments are also considered within the scope of the inventionsdisclosed.

As used in this application, the terms “component”, “system”,“interface” “mechanism”, “module” and the like, are intended to refer toa computer and/or electronic-related entity, either hardware, software,software in execution, firmware, middle ware, microcode, and/or anysuitable combination thereof. For example, a component may be, but isnot limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, anobject, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or acomputer. One or more components may reside within a process and/orthread of execution and a component may be localized on one computerand/or distributed between two or more computers. Moreover, thesecomponents can execute from various computer readable media havingvarious data structures stored thereon. The components may communicateby way of local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with asignal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one componentinteracting with another component in a local system, distributedsystem, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systemsby way of the signal). Additionally, components of systems describedherein may be rearranged and/or complemented by additional components inorder to facilitate achieving the various aspects, goals, advantages,etc., described with regard thereto, and are not limited to the preciseconfigurations set forth in a given figure, as will be appreciated byone skilled in the art. In addition, various aspects or featuresdescribed herein can be implemented as a method, apparatus, or articleof manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques.The term “article of manufacture” as used herein is intended toencompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readabledevice, carrier, or media. For example, computer-readable media caninclude but are not limited to magnetic storage devices (e.g., harddisk, floppy disk, magnetic strips, etc.), optical disks (e.g., compactdisk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), etc.), smart cards, and flashmemory devices (e.g., card, stick, key drive, etc.). Additionally,various storage media described herein can represent one or more devicesand/or other machine-readable media for storing information. The tem'“machine-readable medium” can include, without being limited to,wireless channels and various other media capable of storing,containing, and/or carrying instruction(s) and/or data.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should beunderstood that all such modifications and improvements have beendeleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but areproperly within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A checkout system comprising: a checkout station having ahousing, a customer interface and a customer unloading station, anattendant work station associated with the housing, a transportmechanism for transporting one or more items for purchase from thecustomer interface toward an attendant interface at the attendant workstation, a product identification scanner, a point-of-sale system havinga computing device and a memory operatively associated with one anotherto identify products being purchased, payments tendered therefor and tostore a transaction information locally at the checkout station orremotely from the checkout station, the computing device havingprogramming configured to allow an item to be scanned by the productidentification scanner, the scanner and the computing device being incommunication with an object recognition component, the objectrecognition component configured to: recognize items for purchase in atransaction that have been scanned by the product identificationscanner, discern whether the items for purchase were recognized withinan acceptable error tolerance, classify each item scanned as a scanneditem or as an exception item, and add the scanned items to a transactionlisting, add the exception items to an exceptions listing, an exceptionsmanagement module in communication with the point-of-sale system and theobject recognition component, the exceptions management moduleconfigured to: manage the exceptions listing, present the exceptionslisting to the attendant on an attendant display, organize theexceptions listing according to a selected exceptions priorityorganization, allow an exceptions interaction with the attendant at theattendant interface, wherein the attendant resolves an exception for anexception item through an exceptions processing, remove the exceptionitem from the exceptions listing, and add the exception item that hasbeen removed from the exceptions listing to the transaction listing,wherein the attendant display includes a first screen dedicated to thetransaction listing and a second screen dedicated to the exceptionslisting.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the checkout station is aself-checkout station.
 3. The system of claim 2 including a portalscanner.
 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the portal scanner includes aportal arch portion traversing the transport mechanism.
 5. The system ofclaim 4 including a projector device so that the projector device isoriented above the transport mechanism.
 6. The system of claim 1 whereinthe attendant display is in communication with an attendant commandmodule, the attendant command module including a toggle command, whereinan attendant may switch between a point-of-sale display and anexceptions display at the attendant work station.
 7. The system of claim6 wherein the point-of-sale display includes the transaction listing. 8.The system of claim 7 including a hands-free voice command device incommunication with the exceptions management module so that theattendant may resolve the exception items on the exceptions listingthrough a hands-free exception management.
 9. The system of claim 7including a marker appearing on one of the exceptions items in theexceptions listing.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein an exceptionsinput by the attendant is associated with the exception item in theexceptions listing that includes the marker without the attendant havingto preselect the marked exception item.
 11. The system of claim 6wherein an item representation accompanies the exception item includedon the exception listing.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the itemrepresentation is a photo of the exception item.
 13. The system of claim12 including an item portfolio representation wherein more than onephoto of the exception item is available to the attendant from theexceptions listing.
 14. The system of claim 6 including a weighted itemsmodule configured to sense when an item is placed on a scale that isassociated with the checkout station, wherein the weighted items moduleis in communication with the object recognition component and when aweighted item is placed on the scale, the object recognition componenttriggers a weighted item menu to be displayed to the attendant on theattendant display.
 15. The system of claim 1 wherein the objectrecognition component is configured to establish data relationships forthe items for purchase in the transaction and pairs an item's volumetricinformation with an item's image representation to make an item profile.16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executableinstructions thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause acomputer system having at least one computer processor and at least onedata store to perform a method comprising: identifying informationregarding items being processed at a checkout device in a checkouttransaction; recognizing items for purchase in a transaction that havebeen scanned by a product identification scanner; identifying each itemfor purchase as a recognized item or as an exception item; identifyinginformation regarding an item being added to a transaction listing;identifying information regarding an item being added to an exceptionslisting; adding the recognized item to a transaction listing; adding theexceptions items to an exceptions listing; manage the exceptionslisting; present the exceptions listing to the attendant on an attendantdisplay; associating an associated exceptions item information with arecognized exception item added to the exceptions listing; allowingresolution of an exception item; removing an exception item from theexceptions listing and add the exception item to the transaction listingonce it has been removed from the exceptions listing.
 17. A checkoutapparatus comprising: a base having a customer interface, a scan tunneland an attendant interface, the customer interface and attendantinterface spaced apart by the scan tunnel, a transport mechanismextending along a linear axis from the customer interface, through thescan tunnel and to the attendant interface so that a customer may loaditems for purchase on the base at the customer interface, the transportmechanism transports the loaded items through the scan tunnel to theattendant interface, the scan tunnel equipped with transducers to readinformation about the loaded items as they pass through the scan tunneland deliver digital electronic signals indicating the read informationto assist in compiling a list of items the customer has chosen topurchase, an attendant workstation including a defined location for theattendant interface, the attendant workstation including access to abagging station, an attendant computer, and a scanner, a computer devicein communication with the scan tunnel and configured to receive an iteminformation of items being purchased in a checkout transaction and thattravel through the scan tunnel, the computer device having a programmingconfigured to determine if each item for purchase should be added to atransaction listing or an exceptions listing, an exceptions managementmodule in communication with the attendant computer, the exceptionsmanagement module configured to present the exceptions listing to theattendant and to allow the attendant to resolve an exception that wasdetected as the items for purchase passed through the scan tunnel inorder to resolve all outstanding exceptions on the exceptions listingand to complete the transaction.
 18. The checkout apparatus of claim 17wherein the scan tunnel includes a frame that straddles the transportmechanism.
 19. The checkout apparatus of claim 17 wherein the exceptionslisting includes an item representation and an item data and theattendant interface displays to the attendant the exceptions listingincluding the item representation and the item data, and wherein theexceptions listing includes exceptions to normal processing of thereading of information about the loaded items as they pass through thescan tunnel.
 20. The checkout apparatus of claim 19 including anexceptions resolution option wherein the attendant has the option toresolve the exceptions listed in the exceptions listing in a chosenorder.